


Safe Place [REWRITE!]

by FitofPaige



Series: Safe, Safer, Yet Safer [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Gender-Neutral Frisk (Undertale), Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Pain, Pregnancy, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader is a girl, Reader-Insert, Rewrite, Slow Burn, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2019-09-06 01:42:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16822585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FitofPaige/pseuds/FitofPaige
Summary: [This is a rewrite of my very first Undertale fanfic!]It's been a few years since monsters came to the surface. Most of humanity is still very wary of them, but many are working to accept their new neighbors.You are homeless, and have been so for a while now. You struggle, but you survive.You usually don't run into trouble, but one night trouble ends up running into you.Thankfully, you aren't alone.





	1. Nothing Ever Stays the Same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap y'all, I can't believe I'm finally doing this! I've wanted to rewrite this story ever since I finished Spitfire, honestly. I'm so excited to be doing it now!
> 
> Here's some things readers of the original will need to know:  
> -Some things will be changed from the original! The main story will be the same, as well as the major things that happen for the most part, but there are many things that I've really never been happy with from the story. I think you all will find these changes to make the fic a much more enjoyable read.  
> -Things may be added, some minor things that made no sense may be taken out. I really want this to reflect how far I've come as a writer.  
> -Your comments mean EVERYTHING to me! If you read the original fic, feel free to mention it and what you remembered from it that might end up changing, and if you like the change or not! And if you never read the original, PLEASE still comment! It keeps me going!
> 
> I'm not sure how often I will get updates out, but I am really motivated, so there might be a bunch on the way one after another lol. I still have 2 other fics I plan on finishing, so don't worry if you're really into those! I don't plan on giving up on them!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this rewrite!!!  
> -Paigey

The winter snow fell softly around you, spread out over the ground, covering it like a warm blanket… though it was anything but warm.

You’d been living in these particular back alleys for months now, possibly even a year. You weren’t entirely sure, it was difficult to keep up with the dates since you struggled daily just to survive. 

Pulling your tattered coat around you even tighter, you looked up toward the dark sky. This night was definitely going to get colder, and you hoped to find some matches or a lighter to start a fire in a trash can before everything had a chance to freeze over. If the weather kept on like this, you weren’t sure if you’d live through the season.

The familiar creak of a door sent you scurrying for cover. Like you did every night, you waited and listened. This restaurant you’d be living in the alleyway behind, Grillby’s, was run by monsters. Monsters who suddenly appeared a few years ago, broken out of a prison deep within the mountains. They’d been slowly trying to integrate into human society, and while you had no reason to be afraid of them, you certainly didn’t want any to see you, a homeless, freeloading human, hiding behind their establishment begging for food.

You held your breath as the clanging of the dumpster lid was heard, the back door opening and closing once again, and then… silence. After just a few more moments you turned the corner back into the alley and rushed to the dumpster. The scent of rotten food and spoiled liquids hit you hard as you opened the lid, but you didn’t care. 

Your eyes were met with what had been the usual sight as of late, two hamburgers atop a pile of trash, one of them absolutely smothered in ketchup. Immediately your mouth was watering and you wasted no time grabbing them both and retreating back to your regular spot nearby. Putting one of the burgers away in a box for later, you took a huge bite of the other. It was still a little warm, and you nearly cried at the feeling of it going down your throat. This was the food you looked forward to almost every week. You wondered how there weren’t a ton of homeless people living in this alley, grabbing the amazing scraps that were thrown out by this restaurant. It was difficult for you to save some for the next few days, but you knew you’d starve if you didn’t.

So immersed in your meal, you didn’t hear the footsteps walking toward you. It wasn’t until a glass bottle grazed your shoulder that you realized someone had approached you, and they didn’t look too happy. 

“Hey, are you fucking deaf?!” The older man yelled at you, scowling.

You didn’t say a word, not that you would have if you wanted to. You honestly hadn’t used your voice in years. Staring at him in shock, you swallowed the last bit of burger in your mouth and remained frozen.

“Mute too apparently!” He grunted, rolling his eyes, “I  _ said _ give me that fucking burger!”

It took you a moment to process his words as his angry eyes were locked on yours. You must have hesitated too long because before you could make any sort of move, he reared back his leg and kicked you hard in the side, knocking you over. You bit your lip at the sharp pain spreading through your ribcage and attempted to curl yourself up into a fetal position, but the man had other plans.

Grabbing the front of your shirt, he easily lifted you so your face was mere centimeters from his. You could smell the putrid scent of liquor on his breath and it was suddenly as though you were back in your childhood home, face to face with your father.

“Stupid bum bitch.” He spit at you, “Don’t you know how to respect your elders?”

All of a sudden you were thrown forcefully to the ground, landing on your arm in such a way that you heard a bone snap clean in two before the pain actually caught up with you. You let out an awkward, warbled cry, causing the man to laugh loudly.

“Well, sweetheart, you’re about to fucking learn.”

You curled in on yourself this time, whimpering and wondering how you’d ended up in a situation like this again. You hadn’t had any problems living in the streets, in fact, people seemed to completely ignore you. 

You heard the man step closer to you and you braced your body, preparing for the worst.

“HEY! WHAT’S GOING ON BACK HERE?!”

A new voice echoed down the alleyway. It was loud, brash, yet had a sort of feminine quality to it.

The man stopped in his tracks and looked toward the voice, “None of your fu-”

His words disappeared as there was a flash of blue that sent him flying backwards. New footsteps appeared to be racing toward you, and soon a new figure was leaning over your crumpled form. Your eyes were too clouded with tears to be able to make out the figure, and it didn’t help that you felt nauseous from the pain of your injuries.

“UNDYNE!” The figure yelled out, “IT’S ANOTHER HUMAN! AND THIS ONE APPEARS TO BE HURT!”

You nearly threw up as uncomfortable, boney arms went around you. The person was trying very hard to cradle you carefully, but everything in your body seemed to throb and scream in agony.

“Come on Pap.” The woman’s voice was back, and much quieter this time, “We need to get them to Toriel.”

You tried not to cry more as the boney one carried you, but with every step you grew more tired and less aware of your surroundings.

The last thing you remembered was the roar of a car engine, and then…

Darkness.

* * *

You awoke to bright lights and the warm smell of freshly baked cookies. For a second you wondered how you’d become a child again, and how your mother was still alive and baking, but the murmurs around you quickly brought that warm memory crashing down.

“Are th-they going to be alright?” A quiet voice asked.

“Yes.” Another voice spoke, this one very comforting, “Thankfully their injuries weren’t so severe that I couldn’t heal them. They should be waking very soon.”

Slowly, you opened your eyes. Your blurry vision soon began to focus and a large, white, goat-looking monster came into view. At first, fear hit you, but she gave you such a sweet smile that your fear seemed to melt away instantly.

“I’m sure you are confused, my child.” The goat woman spoke gently to you, “Allow me to explain what has happened. My name is Toriel, and my friends brought you to me in hopes of healing any injuries you sustained when you were attacked a couple of hours ago. I’ve done my best to help you, though you will probably still be sore for a few days.”

You blinked a few times and began to sit up. Toriel placed a large, warm hand on your back and helped you into a seated position on the bed she had you laying on. To your surprise, there were multiple people in the room, all of them being monsters. There was a tall skeleton, an equally as tall blue-scaled fish lady, and a shorter yellow monster who resembled a dinosaur.

Everyone was silent, all eyes on you. You swallowed, your throat dry and scratchy.

“Oh dear, I should have brought you a glass of water. I’m sure you’re parched!” Toriel said.

“I’LL GO GET SOME!” The skeleton monster exclaimed, immediately causing you to recognize him as the one who picked you up in the alleyway. Before anyone could say anything, he was out of the room.

Toriel chuckled, “That is Papyrus. He’s not really known for being soft-spoken, but he is so sweet.”

She gestured toward the two other monsters, “This is Undyne, she’s the one who heard the scuffling in the alley.”

The fish lady smiled, “Don’t worry about that guy who was bothering you. I took care of him!” 

She placed a hand on the smaller monster’s shoulder, “This is Alphys, a scientist! As well as my girlfriend!”

Alphys blushed a bit and smiled at you, “I’m glad t-to see you’re alright.”

You sat in awkward silence for a moment. Sure, these monsters saved your life, and you were grateful for sure… but they were still strangers, even if you now knew their names. 

Papyrus came rushing back into the room and up to your bedside, holding out a glass of water for you. You started to reach for it, but hesitated right before your fingertips touched the glass.

“It is alright, child.” Toriel said, “Go ahead and drink.”

You took the glass and held it to your lips. You sipped slowly at first, but as the water began to satiate your thirst, started gulping it down as fast as you could. There was a tinge of sadness once the glass was empty, and you frowned as you brought it away from your mouth.

“Don’t worry.” Toriel said softly, rubbing circles on your back, “We have plenty of water, and you can have all that you like. But it would be wise to drink it a little more slowly. You won’t want to make yourself sick.”

You looked up into her eyes and she greeted you with yet another smile. There was so much kindness in her face, and she gazed at you like you remembered your mother doing, with love and care.

Toriel turned to the group, “Maybe we should give our friend here some rest. They’ve been through a lot in the past few hours.”

“HUMAN, I HOPE THAT YOU DO NOT MIND STAYING THE NIGHT HERE!” Papyrus chimed in, “I’M SURE YOU HAVE A HOME TO GET BACK TO, BUT THE QUEEN’S HOUSE IS VERY COMFORTING!”

You raised your brows. Queen??

Toriel let out a sigh and shook her head, “I’ve told you so many times, Papyrus, call me Tori.”

She then turned to you, “But yes, you are more than welcome to stay the night here, if you’d like.”

You thought for a moment, trying not to focus on the many eyes that were still focused on you. Did you really want to go back to the streets tonight? Sure you didn’t know these monsters, and you couldn’t trust them… but you couldn’t really trust anyone, could you?

You looked to her and nodded slowly. Her smile widened further.

“Then it’s settled. If you need anything, there’s a bell here on the nightstand. I wouldn’t want you straining your voice.”

Glancing at the nightstand you saw the little golden bell she spoke of, along with a notebook and pen. You wondered if she had already prepared for you to stay.

“I will be right back with another glass of water.” Toriel told you.

You met her eyes again and couldn’t help but wonder why she was being so nice. For a moment you thought you saw a flash of emotion in her face. Sadness?... Pity?

The monsters each told you goodnight and filed out of the room. Before heading out with the empty glass, Toriel gave you a soft smile once more and lightly ran her large paw over the top of your head.

As the door closed behind her, and you were left alone again, you wondered if any of them really knew that you didn’t actually have a home to return to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is where I will post the word count of the original chapter compared to the rewrite! 
> 
> Original: 1572 Words  
> Rewrite: 1933 words


	2. Welcome to the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy about the feedback from this rewrite!!! T_T I can't thank y'all enough. There's a special place in my heart for this story and I'm so excited to be rewriting it.
> 
> This chapter is drastically different from the original chapter 2, and I am much more happy with it now lol.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Paige

Although you were lying in the most comfortable bed you’d felt in years, sleep did not come easy. Much of the night you spent tossing and turning, drifting in and out of consciousness. The house was much more quiet than you were used to and it made you uneasy.

What also bothered you was the change in the entire feel of the room at one point. The air seemed to shift around you and the feeling of someone’s eyes upon you sent chills down your spine. You did your best to keep still and breathe slowly in hopes that the visitor would go away.

“i know you’re awake.”

At first you froze, fearful once again. You then remembered the bell that Toriel left out for you. Your eyes popped open, your vision quickly adjusting to the dim light from the window shining into the otherwise dark room. Seeing the bell on the nightstand you began to reach out, only for it to suddenly begin floating away.

“hey now, no need to bring tori into this.” The voice from before spoke, “i just wanna talk to ya.”

You took a deep breath and let it out before forcing yourself to sit up and look around the room. In a nearby chair you saw your visitor, another skeleton monster, though this one seemed much shorter and stockier than Papyrus.

“didn’t mean to make you jump outta your skin, kid.” He said, moving his hand and allowing the bell to sit back on the table. “ _ tibia _ honest, i couldn’t sleep, so i wanted to see who everyone was fussing over earlier.”

You knew monsters had magic, so the levitating trick wasn’t too surprising, but was this guy seriously making skeleton puns right now? How strange. You looked out the window to see the moon high in the sky. What time was it even?

“you don’t talk much, do you?”

You looked back at him. He had a large smile plastered across his face and he was dressed very casually in a blue jacket, basketball shorts, and pink fuzzy slippers.

You shook your head to answer his question. You really didn’t talk at all unless you had to. For the past few years you really didn’t have anyone to talk to, so why would you bother? It wasn’t like you enjoyed talking while growing up either, which is why you ended up learning ASL.

The skeleton suddenly stood and walked closer to the bed. You watched carefully as he hopped up to sit at the bottom of it, letting his feet dangle a few inches from the floor. Though still fairly uneasy, a part of you didn’t feel afraid of this monster. Perhaps it was simply his nonchalant vibe.

“i’m sans, sans the skeleton.” He said, “you met my brother, papyrus, earlier. he’s a pretty cool guy, am i right?”

Not wanting to be rude, you simply nodded. You didn’t really know Papyrus, but he seemed like a nice person. 

“yeah, he’s pretty popular with everyone.”

The both of you stared off into space in silence for a moment. You contemplated asking him why he was even there. Sure, he had said he was curious to see who you were, but why did he decide that the middle of the night would be a good time?

“hey, what’s a skeleton’s favorite weapon?” Sans’ suddenly asked as he nudged your foot.

Your brows furrowed at the question, but he simply waited, the white lights of his eyes begging for an answer. You simply shrugged, though.

“a bone and  _ marrow _ !” He winked.

Catching you off guard with the joke, a snort escaped you. You weren’t expecting a skeleton to be making bone puns, but it really did make sense, and make for a good laugh.

He nudged you again, “if you thought that was  _ humerus _ , i got a skele _ ton _ more!”

You covered your mouth as you giggled a little more. Sans hopped off the bed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he turned to you again, his face taking on a bit of a serious expression.

“So, Pap told me they found you in an alley, that some guy attacked you.”

It wasn’t really a question, more like a request for confirmation. You nodded.

“why were you out so late?” He asked.

Your lips pursed slightly as you thought for a moment before pulling your hands from beneath the covers and starting to sign.

**I was out for a walk.**

A look of slight surprise crossed his face before settling into one of skepticism, “you usually out walking that late?”

You bit the inside of your cheek and shifted uncomfortably.

**I was on my way home.**

Already feeling ashamed, you really didn’t want to be explaining to the strangers here that you were homeless. There was really no point to it.

“well, i’m sure tori will give you the go ahead to go home soon.” He spoke after a moment, “of course, she might want you to stay a little longer. she likes to help people, and i’m sure she’d want to make sure you’re completely healed.”

You frowned slightly. You were already a burden to these people, there wasn’t any reason you needed to stay.

“by the way,” Sans said, seeming to notice your shift in mood, “i didn’t realize you talked like the kid.”

**The kid?** You signed,  **What do you mean?**

“tori’s kid.” Sans clarified, “they’re name is frisk. they were probably asleep when you were brought in. you’ll see them in the morning.”

**Do they sign?** You asked.

Sans nodded, “yeah. they can speak, but don’t really like to use their voice.”

You didn’t want to get into it, but that really sounded a lot like yourself. You silently wondered if Frisk had been through anything in their childhood to make them that way…

“welp, kiddo, i’m sure you’re wanting to get some sleep.” Sans said, turning on his heel to face the door. “don’t forget to ring the bell if you get a little  _ bonely _ and want someone to talk your ear off.”

He looked back at you and winked yet again. Your giggle was a little louder than before and you signed to thank him before he trudged over to the door and left the room. Sans seemed so strange to you, showing up like this as an introduction, but you were glad he did. A small part of you felt a little lighter than before as you huddled back under the covers. 

The bed seemed to swallow you whole as you sank back into its warmth. You hadn’t felt the comfort of such a bed in so long, and it was so nice, but you knew you shouldn’t get attached… to it, or these strangers.

You knew as soon as morning hit, you needed to get out of this house and move locations yet again. It was best to rely on only yourself.

You sure would miss Grillby’s though.

* * *

“HUMAN! IT’S TIME FOR BREAKFAST!”

Papyrus’ voice jolted you awake as he burst into the bedroom. 

“DON’T BE A LAZY BONES LIKE MY BROTHER! THE QU- I MEAN, TORIEL HAS MADE BREAKFAST FOR EVERYONE! COME DOWNSTAIRS!”

He was gone before you could even see properly. You rubbed the blurriness from your eyes and swung your legs over the side of the bed and hopped down, your toes curling into the soft carpet as you stood up. Your body was a little sore, but it wasn’t anything you couldn’t deal with.

Leaving the room, you were immediately greeted by the scent of every delicious breakfast staple you could imagine. Bacon, eggs, biscuits, the works. Your mouth watered, it’d been so long since you had a home cooked meal… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just stay a little longer.

As you came to the bottom of the stairs, you noticed a small child, probably no older than nine. They smiled brightly at you, their bobbed brown hair bouncing along as they crossed the room to get to you. You were sure that this was Frisk, even before they signed their name to you.

You returned their smile and signed your own name to them. Their dark eyes sparkled and they gently took one of your hands and began leading you through the spacious living room and into the dining room where it seemed like everyone you met the night before was sitting at a wooden table. The large plates of food had your stomach growling and Frisk wasted no time pointing you to an empty chair in which you promptly sat down in. They took the one next to you, with Toriel sitting on the other side.

Toriel looked at you with a loving smile, “Good morning, my child. It it nice to see you up and about. I trust you aren’t in too much pain.”

You tried to ignore the food as you smiled back and signed for her.

**I feel better. Thank you for patching me up.**

“Oh, I didn’t realize you signed!” She said in surprise, “Have you been signing long?”

You nodded:  **A few years now.**

“That’s so good to know!” She said, “By the way, in all the rushing around last night I forgot to ask your name…”

For a quick moment, you thought of throwing a fake name out there, only to remember that you just told Frisk your real one. You mentally kicked yourself and signed your name to her.

“Oh that’s such a lovely name!” Toriel said as her smile widened, “Now, before I can keep you any longer, go ahead and get whatever you like to eat. You need some food to nourish your body after last night.”

You took the empty plate in front of you in your now slightly shaky hands. As you eyed the different servings of food, the person sitting across from you now caught your vision. It was Sans. Seeing him in the brighter lights of the dining room, you noticed he looked more tired than he seemed to last night. There were faint dark blue circles under his eye sockets, which was strange since you figured he was made from actual bone. You didn’t question it though, especially since you remembered him winking at you too.

You did your best not to start shoveling every piece of food into your mouth. You put a bit of each dish on your plate and tried to eat like you hadn’t been basically starving for months. Chewing every bite thoroughly and savoring the taste of each morsel, it wasn’t long before you ate everything on your plate, and Toriel talked you into grabbing seconds. 

You were silent as you listened to the conversations between the monsters. They talked about everything from Frisk going to school to what they might have for dinner that night. As badly as you wanted to leave the house and not burden them any further, deep inside you longed to stay. It'd be so nice to have something like a family again.

Having eaten almost to the point of feeling sick, you sat back in your chair and let out a quiet sigh. As the others finished up, Toriel and Papyrus took off to wash dishes, leaving you with Frisk and Sans… the latter of who's gaze you had felt on you throughout breakfast.

Frisk tugged on your sleeve and you looked over to them as they signed.

Do you want to stay longer?

You bit your lip. You knew you really shouldn't.

“it's alright if you need to go.” Sans spoke up, “but it isn't a problem if you wanna stay. frisk seems to want to get to know you better.”

You looked from Sans back to Frisk. They nodded in agreement with Sans, which just made you feel even more conflicted. Their eyes were practically begging you to stay, and you didn’t want to disappoint the child.

**Maybe just a little longer.**

They beamed and hopped off their chair, running off into the kitchen, probably to tell their mom.

“frisk doesn’t have a whole lot of human friends.” Sans spoke, his voice low enough not to bring attention from the kitchen.

You raised an eyebrow in question and simply signed  **“Why?”**

Sans shrugged, “they seem to gravitate more toward monsters. i think it may put some of the human children off… there’s still a lot of prejudice and uncertainty after all.”

You nodded. You’d seen how many monsters got treated on the streets, they definitely weren’t welcome everywhere.

“pretty sure they’d like to be friends with you.” Sans said.

There were a few questions you wanted to ask, like why these monsters wanted to help you and why they weren’t afraid of you, but you didn’t say a thing.

“the kid’s pretty good at reading people, so i’m sure tori wouldn’t mind you hanging out with them.”

With that, Sans got up and walked out of the room, leaving you alone at the table. Your mind kept replaying what he’d said… was it really smart of you to stay and possibly become ‘friends’ with Frisk? You really weren’t sure.

The only thing you did know was that you’d rather not become a burden to anyone ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count:
> 
> Original Chapter 2: 2093  
> Rewrite Chapter 2: 2208


	3. The Way Back Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you'll see from the original vs rewrite word count in the bottom notes, a good bit was cut from this chapter. 1, I felt like it made the chapter skip around too much and drag on. 2, chapter 4 seems to be shorter and I want to add onto it. I feel like it will make the story flow better.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Please leave a comment if you do!  
> -Paige

You spent the morning at Toriel’s house, letting Frisk show you around and explain to you how they came to live with her. You hadn’t realized that they were the human who freed the monsters from Mt. Ebott. It turns out that they were orphaned and had run away from their foster family when they came upon the monsters. Thankfully, after many visits and tons of paperwork, the state had decided that Toriel was fit to be Frisk’s caretaker, and you could definitely see why. She was the most motherly person you’d ever met… similar to your own mother, in fact. Oh how you missed her.

Papyrus had left right after breakfast, but Sans stuck around. You mostly signed with Frisk while listening to Toriel and Sans make horrible puns up until lunch, which was when you decided that you’d stayed long enough. Toriel tried to convince you to stay for lunch, and although your stomach screamed yes, you insisted that you needed to leave. She instead packed you a bit of the leftovers from breakfast and told you to take them with you.

“Do you want a ride home? I don’t mind driving you.” Toriel asked as the two of you stood in the entryway of the house.

 **No thank you.** You signed, **I can walk.**

“i can walk you home if you want.” Sans interrupted as he stepped out from the kitchen, “i need to be getting home soon anyway.”

“Oh that's a great idea!” Toriel said, “That way I'll know you made it home safe.”

You tried to keep your face from scrunching up in frustration. What would you do? Walk up to some random house and act like you lived there? You didn't want them feeling sorry for you for being homeless… but you also didn't want Toriel worrying about you, not after she'd taken care of you.

The two of them looked to you for an answer, which you gave as you slowly nodded your head in agreement.

“Then it's settled.” Toriel stepped forward to put her arms around you, pulling you into a gentle hug, “I do hope you will come back to visit sometime!”

You almost melted against her as the warmth from her fur and the lovely scent of baked goods washed over you. It'd be so easy to break down there. To cry against her as a child would… but you couldn't. You'd come to far to just come undone now.

As she pulled back, another figure darted into the room. Frisk ran up to you and threw their arms around you, squeezing you tightly. When they let go, they excitedly signed that you should hang out again soon. To that, you simply nodded again.

“My dear child, please know that you are always welcome back here.” Toriel said, “Sans will make sure you get home safely. Do take care.”

With that, you made sure you had the few belongings you'd acquired here, the most important being the container of leftovers Toriel packed you.

Sans stepped past you and grabbed the handle of the front door, slowly pulling it open to reveal the blinding white snow that had fallen overnight.

“welp, i’ll talk to ya later tori, frisk.” sans said before looking to you, “ready, buddy?”

Nodding one more time, you looked back to the mother and child duo and signed a final goodbye before walking outside with the skeleton.

  


Walking back into town, you pretended to know where you were going. For the first little bit, Sans had been cracking jokes, and you had been doing your best to genuinely laugh at them despite being extremely uncomfortable about your predicament.

It wasn't long before Sans grew quiet, and you could tell he was beginning to get suspicious. You knew you were almost to Grillby’s, and you kept wondering how you could get Sans off your back… but something told you that things weren't going to be as easy as you hoped.

“hey, uh, kid.” Sans spoke, “you sure you know where you're going?”

You tensed up and slowed your pace a bit, but didn’t acknowledge his question. Once he realized you weren’t going to answer, Sans crossed over into your path and stood facing you. You stopped walking, frowning at the sudden confrontation.

“i don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but i just feel like there’s something you’re not telling me.” He said.

You looked away from him.

“____… can you tell me where you actually live?”

Locking eyes with him again, you could tell he wasn’t going to let this go. With a sigh, you made a motion for him to follow you. You continued walking the road toward Grillby’s. You weren’t sure why you were doing this, you literally had no obligation toward anyone to show them that you were homeless. Still, even as you turned down the side alley where you’d been attacked, feeling shame wash over you, something inside told you that showing him was the right thing to do.

You lead him over to the dumpster, where you were surprised to find your belongings still sitting next to it on your old, tattered blanket. Not wanting to look back at Sans, you simply kept your focus on your items. There wasn’t much there, but it was yours. It was all you had.

You didn’t flinch when you felt Sans’ hand lay on your shoulder.

“this... explains a lot.” He said, choosing his words carefully.

You took a deep breath in and turned to face him, dreading the concerned look in his sockets that you were met with.

 **What do you mean?** You signed to him.

“well, i saw when paps brought you in at tori’s last night.” He told you, “i’ll be honest, i thought you were a child at first with how frail you looked.”

You wanted nothing more than to disappear. To grab your things and run until you were on your own once again. Sans seemed to sense this, as the hand that still lay on your shoulder tightened its grip slightly.

“how long have you been out here?” He asked, “and i don’t just mean behind Grillby’s.”

Heat gathered in your face, your eyes starting to burn from the threat of tears.

**Over a year.**

He didn’t say a word as he looked over at your belongings next to the dumpster. After a few moments of him staring off in thought, he let go of your shoulder and took a step over, kneeling down and grabbing the corners of your blanket. It didn’t take much effort to gather your things in the middle and tie the ends of the blanket around them. He swung them over his shoulder as he stood and faced you again, extending one of his hands out to you.

“come on, you shouldn’t have to stay out here.”

You looked from his hand to his face and back again. Unsure of what to do, you fought the urge to step away from him.

He looked rather perplexed, “kid, it’s freezing out here, and this is coming from a skeleton. the cold literally blows right through me.”

You frowned, too anxious to register his joke.

“this is no place for a human.” He said, “no place for anyone, really.”

You wanted to argue, to tell him that you’d been braving weather worse than this for a while now, but you knew he was right overall. Nobody should have to live in that mess.

He took a small step toward you, hand still reaching out, “look, i’m sure you can take care of yourself, but… i’m not leaving you out here.”

You frowned. You’d practically been taking care of yourself since you were a child. Why did this one skeleton monster want to help you so badly all of a sudden? Nobody else cared. They simply passed by you, seeing you for the bum that you were.

“if you want, i can take you back to tori’s. she wouldn’t mind taking you in. in fact, she’d probably enjoy the company.” He told you.

You immediately shook your head, looking to him with pleading eyes. The last thing you wanted was to disappoint Toriel. You didn’t want her to pity you or to be upset with you not telling her that you were homeless. She was too kind, too motherly, you’d only be a burden on her and her child.

His brow bone furrowed, “would you at least come stay with me and papyrus?... just until it gets warmer?”

You thought about being inside a warm house again, about having fresh food that wasn’t from a garbage can. Your own hand twitched as you looked to his again.

“you can stay on our couch for a few nights.” he said, “i’m sure paps would love having a new friend to cook some of his favorite recipes for.”

Tears stung your eyes and you swallowed a lump in your throat. Your hand shook as you reached out, taking his surprisingly warm hand in yours.

He met your gaze, “i know you aren’t sure about this. but i assure you, things will be better if you let us help you get you back on your feet.”

You gave a single nod and he tightened his grip on your hand.

“now i need you to do me a favor.” He said, “close your eyes and hold on tight.”

* * *

Your stomach flip flopped as the sudden feeling of falling took over. It didn’t take long before you were back on your feet, with Sans steadying you as you swayed a bit.

“heh, sorry about that. i probably should’ve warned you about the feeling of taking one of my shortcuts for the first time.”

You blinked your eyes open and saw Sans smiling at you like nothing was wrong. As if he didn’t just find out you were homeless. Once you were still, he took his hand away and gestured to the door in front of you. He stifled a laugh as you rubbed your eyes in disbelief. Had he just teleported the both of you to this place?

“welcome to me and paps’ place.” He said as he opened the front door and stepped inside, motioning for you to follow.

You stepped into a spacious living room with a flat screen tv and a rather large sofa. There was a bookshelf in the corner filled with all sorts of things, but other than that the room looked fairly empty. Sans set your stuff next to the couch and turned to you.

“go ahead and make yourself comfortable. i can put those leftovers in the fridge for ya.”

You’d almost forgot about the container of food from Toriel that you’d been holding onto this entire time. Sans took it from you and headed off into the kitchen. You stepped over toward the couch, its burgundy colored fabric and fluffed pillows looking extremely comfortable.

You hesitated as you took in your surroundings. It was clean and inviting, everything you never really had in a home. Carefully, you lowered yourself down onto the cushions, sighing quietly as you melted into them. Suddenly you felt extremely exhausted, your lack of sleep from the night before was finally catching up with you.

For a moment you forgot your troubles and let the comfort of the sofa lull you to sleep.

~~~~

You slept for a long time, and Sans really couldn’t blame you. Having been living in back alleys for a year you likely weren’t used to sleeping on actual furniture. That, and you’d been through a lot in the last 24 hours. Being attacked by someone and then taken in by random monsters. Your brain was probably still having trouble processing it all and of course you’d be exhausted because of it.

And now you were in yet another house with strangers after having just told one of them about you living out on the streets… though Sans already knew you were out there. He’d been ordering burgers more often and then not eating all of them so Grillby would be forced to throw them out because he just  _ knew  _ someone behind the restaurant was there digging around for food every night. He couldn’t help but feel bad for you.

He had woke you up for dinner, but you simply passed back out before you could even make it to the dining room. Deciding to let you get all the rest you needed, he grabbed a clean pillow and blanket from the linen closet and set up your space on the couch. As he helped you get situated, you signed a very sleepy ‘thank you’ and curled up into the cushions.

After you were settled, Sans turned off the light and walked down the hall to Papyrus’ room. His younger brother had been so excited to hear that they had a new house guest, but was just mildly disappointed that he couldn’t spend time with you at the moment.

“Is she alright?” Papyrus asked in a quiet voice as Sans stepped into his room.

Sans nodded, “she’s fine, just tired. it’s been a long day for her.”

Papyrus sat on the edge of his bed, making sure his sheets were folded down just enough for him to slip under them without disturbing the rest of it.

“Do you think she’d enjoy pancakes?” He asked.

Sans chuckled, “i’m sure she would. especially the ones you make.” 

Papyrus smiled, “I’d hope so. I make them with a lot of love!”

“i know ya do.” Sans said, stepping up to the bed, “hey, so, i know we don’t have a ton of money, but i do have a little more than usual from taking those extra shifts last month… i was thinking that maybe we can take our new friend to that little shopping mall downtown. she really doesn’t have much on her.”

“That’s a great idea, Sans!” Papyrus exclaimed, though making an attempt to not be too loud, “It’s really nice of you to help her out like this.”

Sans scratched at his skull, “heh, it’s nothing. i just remember people helping us out when we first moved up here. i just want to return the favor, and she really seems like she needs someone.”

Papyrus leaned over and wrapped an arm around his brother, “It’s very kind of you Sans. I’m sure she appreciates it.”

Sans hugged him back, “alright, well you get some sleep and we’ll start early, yeah?”

Papyrus let out a laugh, “You, early?! Sans, when have you ever been early to anything?”

Sans walked backward toward the door, sending Papyrus a wink

“c’mon bro, when would i pass up a chance for some  _ egg _ cellent breakfast made by the great papyrus?”

Papyrus glared, “I’m only letting that slide because I need eggs for my pancake batter… Goodnight, Sans.”

Sans smiled as he pulled the door to

“night, paps.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original: 3429  
> Rewrite: 2481


	4. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH HEY Y'ALL! IT'S BEEN A BIT!
> 
> I apologize for the almost year long delay ^_^'' A lot has happened in my life in the past year and I had to really focus on that for a while.  
> I hit my lowest low in my mental health, but my husband and I have moved back across the country and are in a new place and I feel back on top and back in control of my health and happiness!
> 
> And now, here I am to write more! I'm so excited, my main priority right now (for fanfics anyway) is to finish this rewrite! (Fireball will also be finished, it's just gonna take longer.) But also recently I became motivated to write again because I got sucked into the world of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and already wrote a short one-shot lol, check it out if you're a fan!
> 
> Anyway, I apologize for this lengthy intro. If you're interested in knowing more about me, or you just wanna follow me and my writing, be sure to check out my Tumblr! (link at the end notes)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who continues to read my work and support me. I love you very much!  
> Enjoy!  
> -Paige <3

This was all so strange to you. Not that you weren’t grateful for all that Sans and Papyrus were doing to help, but it definitely wasn’t something you were accustomed to… all this niceness and acceptance. 

The only thing that really bothered you was the splitting headache you got from Papyrus’s wake up call.

“HUMAN!!”

You were jolted awake, looking around in confusion, before you remembered where you were. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and saw one of your new skeleton roommates heading toward you.

“I’M SORRY TO HAVE STARTLED YOU, BUT WE MUST MAKE PLANS FOR THE DAY!” 

Papyrus all but pulled you off the sofa, so much for sleeping in… though you quickly became curious as to what he meant by ‘plans.’ As you got to your feet, you stretched your arms above your head and yawned. It’d been a while since you’d have such a good night’s sleep.

You followed Papyrus into the kitchen, a lovely, warm smell enveloped you. Papyrus had already started making pancakes. 

“UNDYNE TAUGHT ME THIS NEW RECIPE, AND I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY IT TO SEE IF YOU LIKE IT!”

You smiled and nodded. Pancakes were your favorite breakfast food, and you were absolutely willing to try whatever new recipe Papyrus was talking about. Taking a look around the kitchen, you saw that several different kinds of berries were set out, as well as maple syrup and whipped cream. Your mouth began to water.

“WOULD YOU MIND WAKING SANS UP FOR ME?” Papyrus asked suddenly, “HE DOESN’T NEED TO SLEEP ALL DAY.”

He pointed down the hall to Sans room and you nodded, heading in that direction. You stopped in front of the door and raised your hand, giving a few short knocks.

There was no answer.

You waited a few seconds before knocking again, a bit harder this time.

Still nothing.

You placed your hand on the doorknob, hoping he was decent as you began to turn it. You were surprised as the knob seemed to turn with you, and then open without your assistance.

Sans stood in the doorway, looking quite exhausted. You wondered how it was that a skeleton could have dark under-eye circles as he gave a big yawn.

“morning.” He said.

Not a single pun… He probably didn’t get any sleep at all. You step to the side to give him room to walk out and lift your hands to sign while he’s still looking at you.

**Did you sleep?**

“i got a few hours.” He said with a lazy smile, “don’t worry about me, kid.”

You didn’t press any further as the two of you walked back toward the kitchen. Entering the dining room, you were greeted by Papyrus setting out plates stacked high with pancakes.

“BROTHER, IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU UP BEFORE NOON!”

Sans just smiled at Papyrus as he shuffled over to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of ketchup from it and bringing it back over to the table. You turned your attention to the pancakes, piling them on your plate and smothering them in syrup.

“so, paps,” Sans started after taking a swig straight from the ketchup bottle, “what time should we take our friend here for some shopping?”

You looked over to Sans, your eyes wide with surprise. He knew you didn’t have money, what was he getting at?

“I SAY AS SOON AS WE ALL EAT! YOU KNOW HOW CROWDS CAN BE AT THE MALL.” Papyrus answered.

Feeling slight panic set in, you got Sans’ attention and frantically began signing.

**I don’t need to go shopping.**

Sans sent you a look that said “are you sure about that?” and sighed.

“c’mon buddy. throw me a bone here.” He winked, “It’s the least we can do.”

Least they could do?... for what? You just got mixed up in all this, they didn’t owe you a thing.

“WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE BEST!” Papyrus added, smiling wildly at you as he filled his own plate.

You thought for a moment. If you were actually going to try and make it on your own, it may be worthwhile to accept help from these new friends… though not without the intent of paying them back one day.

**I guess I would need an outfit for job interviews.**

Sans eyes seemed to brighten at your words… though your next ones dimmed them a bit.

**Who would want to hire someone like me, though? I can’t even speak.**

Before Sans could say anything, Papyrus jumped in, “ANY BUSINESS WOULD BE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS AN EMPLOYEE, HUMAN!”

You couldn’t help but smile at Papyrus’s words. He really seemed genuine in wanting to help you out and make you feel at home.

After gulping down his food, Sans stood and started walking back down the hallway.

“welp, i’m gonna go take a nap. let me know when you’re ready to head out.”

Papyrus quickly stood and raced after him, “OH NO YOU DON’T! SANS, GET BACK HERE!”

You can’t help but giggle to yourself as you finished off your pancakes. Though as you stood, taking your dirty dishes to the sink, thoughts about going shopping made you increasingly nervous. You knew you would have to try on clothes, and you weren’t even sure of the size you’d be now.

Suddenly, it came to your attention that you hadn’t had a proper shower in a while, and that may be problematic when it came to trying things on. Seeing Papyrus walk back into the kitchen area, no Sans in sight, you decided to get his attention.

**Is it okay if I… shower?**

You signed, unsure of yourself. You felt a twinge of embarrassment at even needing to ask.

"OF COURSE!" He smiled, "THE TOWELS ARE IN THE LINEN CLOSET IN THE BATHROOM. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE."

You smiled and turned around, walking toward the bathroom before the skeleton had a chance to see you start tearing up.

You had obviously been in the bathroom already, but had not even thought to ask about showering. It had been a while, and you seemed to have forgotten it was necessary.

Turning the water on and letting it run warm, you looked at the items in the tub. Bar soaps, body washes, a loofah, shampoo and conditioner...

Why did they have shampoo and conditioner when they didn't even have hair?

You shrugged it off and got undressed, stepping under the spray of warm water. Just standing there for a few minutes, you took it all in. You had taken little things like this for granted before you were kicked out.

Taking longer than you probably should have, you finally finished bathing and got out to dry off. You walked up to the counter as you fluffed your hair with the towel and looked at the steam on the mirror. You hadn't really looked at yourself in months. You'd caught glimpses of your reflection, sure, but you never noticed the change in your body.

You took the towel and cleared the mirror, standing back to look into it, you gasped a little.

You were so thin. So incredibly thin. You remembered Sans telling you that you looked underweight, and he couldn't have been more correct. Your ribs were showing, your stomach seemed to cave in, and you could actually make out the bone structure of your hips.

Fighting back tears, you turned your back on your reflection and leaned against the counter. Your face was hot and the burning sensation in your eyes was too much to bear. You sniffed a few times, trying not to let the tears fall.

Things weren't supposed to happen like this. You were supposed to go to college, enter the career of your choosing, and become successful. You had dreams and aspirations. But it all went so very, very wrong.

You jumped as you heard a noise coming from the door. Glancing over, you could see a slip of paper had been slid underneath, along with a pen. 

_ you ok? _

You figured it was Sans asking. He must have heard you sniffling. You wiped your eyes with the back of your hand and picked up the pen and paper.

_ Yeah. I'll be out in just a minute. _

You slid the paper back out and it wasn't long before it came back.

_ alright. put your dirty clothes in the hamper by the towel rack and paps will wash them for you. _

You didn't really want Papyrus to have to wash your clothes, but you went ahead and put them in the hamper. You could always ask to do your own laundry later.

You slipped on your clean-ish clothes and did your best to comb out the tangles in your hair before looking in the mirror once again.

The clothes were too big and you looked like a small child putting on their parent's clothing, but at least they kept you covered and warm.

You stepped out of the bathroom and walked down the hallway toward the living room where Sans and Papyrus were standing. 

“Feel better?” Sans asked as soon as he noticed you.

You weren't sure if he meant after the shower, or after the crying. It was probably both. You nodded and smiled.

“ARE YOU READY TO GO SHOPPING, HUMAN?!”

You nodded at Papyrus, it was a wonder how he always had so much energy.

“Kiddo is gonna need a coat though.” Sans said. You pointed to your jacket laying on the couch, but he shook his head. “You need something warmer. It's really cold out there,  _ snow _ joke”

You stifled a giggle as Papyrus rolled his eyes.

“I got an extra hoodie though, It'd be pretty  _ chill _ of you to wear. You wouldn't want to go out and catch a cold.” Sans disappeared down the hall.

“SANS!”

Now you weren't even trying to hide your laughter. These two were hilarious. Papyrus acted like he hated Sans' puns, but you swear you saw a slight smile behind his grimace.

Sans reappeared with a hoodie similar to the one he was wearing, only this one was a pullover and had a lot of fluff in the hood. You pulled it on and situated it. It was very cozy and smelled nice. You signed your thanks to Sans.

“ALRIGHT, NOW THAT EVERYONE IS READY, LET'S HEAD OUT!” Papyrus held a fist up in the air, turned on his heel, and headed out the door.

* * *

You were in the mall for barely 10 minutes before you began feeling extremely overwhelmed. There were too many people, and too many options. After around an hour of just walking around one of the larger department stores, Papyrus somehow coaxed you into picking a few things out to try on.

After trying on some outfits, you had a few nice blouses and a few pairs of slacks, as well as some jeans and shoes sitting in the cart. You tried several times to put some of the items back, feeling horrible for having these people, err, monsters you barely knew buying you all these nice things. You didn’t deserve any of this, but the two skeletons weren’t having any of it. Even if you could never pay them back (which you swore to yourself you would one day) they were getting you these clothes.

Looking through the last few outfits Papyrus pulled for you, you were surprised to find a dress. You hadn’t wore a dress in so long, and you really didn’t have a reason to wear one now, but not wanting to disappoint Papyrus, you decided to try it on.

Turning to the mirror after getting it on, you nearly gasped. The deep, royal blue fabric clung to your body, but not in a way that showed how tiny you truly were. It dipped and pooled at the neckline and was simple, with no pattern, sitting nicely on your body until it hit your hips and flowed gently to your knees. 

Tears pricked at your eyes once again. It’d been so long since you looked this nice. Seeing yourself right then, you felt like a person again, not like an urchin living on the streets.

You changed back into your regular clothes and held the dress against you as you left the dressing room. Papyrus’s smile widened as he saw you clutching it, and that made you smile as well.

* * *

The skelebros ended up buying more than you really needed. You tried to stop them, but once Papyrus was on a roll, you couldn't. Sans didn't help either, you were pretty sure he found it hilarious when you got flustered.

You wanted to cry. You were frustrated with them, but also extremely grateful. You promised them over and over that you would repay them, but they both acted like it was no big deal. This was all so foreign to you. In the past 2 days you had been shown more kindness than you had in years.

That night after dinner, you listened to Sans read Papyrus a story. After Paps fell asleep, you and Sans sat on the couch and talked for a bit. You were getting a little more comfortable here. The brothers were very nice and accepting. They didn't make it a huge deal that you didn't have a home, and you liked that.

**Can I ask you a question?**

You signed, Sans nodded.

**Was it difficult for you all when you came to the surface?**

Sans leaned back against the arm rest “Well, it definitely wasn't easy. Humans weren't very accepting of monsters...many still aren't, but it's gotten a lot better. Frisk is a really good ambassador.”

You smiled,  **Did you live somewhere else besides here?**

“yeah. at first we were moved into these really cheap apartments. it was not a very safe place to live. Many ignorant people tried to break in, set fires, and hurt us. after a while, we were able to find jobs, set up businesses, and purchase our own housing.” He said.

Hearing what they’d been through made you feel sad,  **It's good you aren't living there anymore.**

He nodded. You sat in silence for a moment before asking another question.

**Where do you work?**

“i have a few jobs, actually.” He sat upright. “sometimes i work from home, other times i work a hotdog stand or a nice cream stand at the nearby parks. it just depends on the day.”

You couldn't imagine Sans, as lazy as he seemed, working at all. Much less 3 jobs.

**What about Paps?**

“he does little things here and there. he helps Undyne train, though he would do that without payment. he also helps out toriel sometimes. she's a teacher, and he's actually really good with kids. he just hasn't found a full time job that he is really interested in yet.”

You really wanted to ask how they could afford everything they got you today since it sounded like they only had part time jobs, but you figured that would be rude.

You tried to hide a yawn, but it slipped past. Sans chuckled and stood up. “guess that's my cue. sleep tight kid, don't let the bed bugs bite.”

You smiled and shook your head, signing goodnight to him. He flipped the light off as he made his way to his room.

Lying on your back, you pulled the blanket up around your shoulders and recalled the days events. You couldn't remember ever smiling this much. You hoped this new found happiness would follow you into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original: 2268  
> Rewrite: 2600

**Author's Note:**

> [CHAT ME UP ON TUMBLR!](https://fitofpaige17.tumblr.com/)  
> (Also, my Tumblr wasn't created specifically for my fics, so if you're just wanting to know when the story updates, please click 'subscribe' and you'll receive emails whenever I publish a new chapter!)
> 
> Be sure to check out my other Undertale fics!! <3


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